From Pastor's Desk

At its height, the Roman Empire was one of the most culturally and technologically advanced kingdoms known to man. Among its innovations were the aqueduct, advanced sewer systems and plumbing, arched doorways, and concrete. Arguably the most famous invention that came out of the glory of the Roman Empire, though, was one of the most sophisticated road-systems created in ancient times.

These roads were heavily guarded, thus safe from bandits. These roads made traveling much more efficient. Most importantly—like any road—they led you where you wanted to go.

If you’ve ever been on a long road-trip, you know what it’s like to pore over maps and atlases and notepads with your buddy's guaranteed best directions. Or maybe, since this is the 21st century, you just turn on your GPS and allow it to guide you down whatever road you need to get to wherever it is you want to be.

But will any road lead you to your desired destination? If I, living in Nebraska, hopped into my 2000 Volvo S70 (I finally own a car made in this millennium!) to visit my friend in Watertown, New York, could I just tear down whatever streets I wanted and expect that I’m going to arrive at his house? Ummm no. I would end up in Georgia or Texas or maybe even Canada! The reality is that I can’t just take whatever road feels right and hope that I arrive at my desired destination.

Unfortunately, this is what many do when it comes to their relationship with God. In our highly subjective society, truth is whatever you want truth to be. Ironically, this only succeeds in creating an infinite number of falsehoods. It’s no wonder that so many people, after arriving at their version of the “truth,” only find themselves continuing their endless and frustrating search.

Here’s the truth: God doesn’t leave us without the truth.

God reveals truth for all people in the Bible. His truth—the truth—is found in the message of sin and grace. His truth is found in a Savior who rescued mankind from death and hell. His truth is found in the cross of Jesus, who suffered to pay for the sins of all humanity and was raised to life again to prove that he had conquered death and hell and the Devil. In that triumph he also promises that his brothers and sisters will reign forever with him in heaven.

There. You now have a nice summary statement of the Bible. In a nutshell: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That’s the quick version.

I want to give you the long version—the version where we immerse ourselves in the Bible to learn what God has to say about sin, its consequences, Christ’s work, and what that means for our lives now.

And to do that, we’re going to walk a road—specifically, the Romans Road.

The letter to the Romans was written through the pen of the Apostle Paul in the middle of the First Century. This book, perhaps better than any other in the Bible, outlines the story of sin and grace in a logical, complete, and orderly fashion. From start to finish, the Holy Spirit weaves a beautiful tapestry of God’s incredible love for rebellious humankind. When all is said and done, the finished product is—well, it’s magnificent! After all, God is the author of this whole thing!

So strap on your walkin’ shoes. The journey is going to take a few weeks—months, even. But the trip is worth it. I promise. No—I pinky promise. Most importantly, this road is, unlike all the others that people take, not just another dead-end.